The Election Committee (ELCOM) has carefully selected the following candidates from the nominations, using criteria based on qualifications, experience, and dedication to our Society. We firmly believe that they possess the necessary skills and expertise to guide EAS towards continued success.
The incoming candidate will take over after Prof Stefano Romeo exiting the EC in the end of 2024. The term of office is 2025-2028.
We are pleased to announce the candidates for the position of Ordinary Member Responsible for Education 2025-2028:
- Professor Kirsten Bjørklund Holven
- Professor David Nanchen
- Professor Elena Osto
- Dr. Emiel van der Vorst
Professor Kirsten Bjørklund Holven
Professor, Department of nutrition, University of Oslo and Head of research, National advisory unit on FH, Oslo University Hospital
Biography
Professor Kirsten B. Holven is head of section of clinical nutrition, department of nutrition, University of Oslo and a researcher at the National Advisory Unit on Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH), Oslo University Hospital.
She has worked with research relating to patients with FH, for more than 25 years with particular focus on impact on cholesterol exposure in children with FH and women´s health issues focusing on women with FH, pregnancy and breastfeeding related issues, lipids through life cycle and dietary intervention studies.
She is leading the education committee for the five-year master program in clinical nutrition at the department of nutrition, faculty of medicine and at the national advisory unit on FH, she is involved in organising national educational lipid meetings and making information material for both health personal and patients. She collaborates with the Norwegian FH patient organisation and is member of the scientific advisory committee of the European FH patient organisation. She is the national contact person for the EAS Lipid Clinic Network and national lead of Norway for the EAS FHSC. She has been part of the scientific programme committee of the Scandinavian Society of Atherosclerosis Research annual meeting; is part of the EAS Scientific Programme Committee 2024 and is in the organising committee of the EAS Pediatric meeting 2023. She is a member of the Norwegian national nutrition council.
Vision statement
My vision for the position as member with responsibility for education in the Executive Committee of EAS is to foster a culture of excellence in education and knowledge dissemination within the field of atherosclerosis. If elected, I am committed to devote a significant amount of time for the benefit of the EAS and the atherosclerosis society and to contribute to the development and implementation of the organization’s strategic plan, ensuring that our educational initiatives align with the mission of the organization. I will build a positive relation with fellow executive committee members and other EAS members to ensure effective communication, which is essential for successful teamwork.
Increasing knowledge and empowering health personnel, clinicians and researchers within atherosclerosis research covering a multitude of backgrounds such as medicine, nutrition, biochemistry, genetics, lipidology, and epidemiology and beyond, encouraging collaboration where each interdisciplinary voice is important, ultimately leads to the most optimal treatment of patients. I hope to continue to expand and utilize the range of educational tools such as thematic webinars, on-line courses as well as physical training courses. The physical training courses will be important for networking and learning across disciplines.
Empowerment of the patients will enable shared decision-making on areas that are important for the patients. Therefore, a close dialogue with the patients is crucial for understanding the concern of the patients and understanding the consequences of the disease. Thus establishing networking areas where researchers and patients meet for mutual benefit is of particular importance.
In conclusion, my vision as EC member with responsibility for education is to create a vibrant and advanced educational platform within EAS, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. I am dedicated to using my qualifications, experience, and personal characteristics to contribute to the success of the organization’s educational initiatives. Together, we can make a significant impact in the field of atherosclerosis research and education, ultimately leading to better treatment for patients.
Current positions
(Information on all positions, both within companies and other Societies)
Companies
- None
Other Societies
- Member in the scientific advisory board in the European FH patient foundation
- National lead for the EAS Lipid Clinic network
- National coordinator for the global EAS FHSC study
- Member of the National Nutrition Council, Norway
Maintaining Integrity in EAS Scientific and Clinical Activities
EAS manages conflicts of interest to maintain integrity in scientific and clinical activities organized by its members. This includes guidelines, consensus papers, journals, congresses, and educational content.
Please see the complete disclosure of potential conflicts of interest below.
Professor David Nanchen
Academic head, Department Health promotion and Preventions, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne
Associated Professor (PAS), Faculty of Biology and Medecine, UNIL, Lausanne
Biography
David Nanchen is associate professor at the Faculty of biology and medicine of the University of Lausanne, and a specialist in general internal medicine in the Center for primary care and public health (Unisanté) in Lausanne, Switzerland . David Nanchen is head of the cardiovascular prevention clinic including cholesterol, tobacco, physical activity and diet management. He is an executive member of the Swiss Atherosclerosis Association. David Nanchen was trained in epidemiology and clinical research at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. He is the initiator of the Swiss genetic screening program for familial hypercholesterolemia. He studies biological markers, socio-economic aspects and therapeuthic managment of cardiovascular risk through his involvement in several cohort studies and clinical trials.
Vision statement
By bringing together clinicians, scientists, students and other healthcare professionals, education is the cornerstone of the European Atherosclerosis Society’s (EAS) mission to improve cardiovascular health. I am a firm believer in the power of education. Over the years, the EAS has accelerated the promotion of education, career development, and networking opportunities for early career researchers, creating an environment of trust and belonging.
The EAS has built a legacy of educational excellence and continues to disseminate the latest scientific evidence, clinical guidelines, and best practices in the field. The EAS promotes a culture of lifelong learning and professional development. Current forward-thinking programmes, led by inspiring scientists, using new communication technologies and covering a wide range of topics from basic science to clinical prevention, foster academic connections.
Education is key to creating a vibrant environment for team building and team science. This includes investing in mentoring initiatives, training grants, and career development resources in an innovative and collaborative spirit. The EAS plays an important role in developing the next generation of leaders in atherosclerosis research and clinical care. It is also important to me to empower all health care professionals with accessible, inclusive, and relevant contents to the different regions within Europe, by implementing culturally sensitive educational materials tailored to the specific local needs.
Finally, there is a need to increase awareness of asymptomatic cardiovascular risk factors and promote healthy lifestyles in the general population. This includes support for educational materials, impactful campaigns and creative events aimed at patients and their families. In synergy, the EAS should continue to act as an advocate for policies and environments that promote healthy lifestyles, by strengthening its relationships with policy makers, healthcare organisations, and patient advocacy groups.
In summary, I look forward to supporting the advances in education provided by the EAS, which will be central to improving clinical care, fostering collaboration, addressing inequalities, promoting healthy behaviours, and raising awareness to reduce the cardiovascular risk in the populations of Europe and beyond.
Current Positions
(Information on all positions, both within companies and other Societies)
Companies
- None
Other societies
- Swiss Society of Hypertension
Maintaining Integrity in EAS Scientific and Clinical Activities
EAS manages conflicts of interest to maintain integrity in scientific and clinical activities organized by its members. This includes guidelines, consensus papers, journals, congresses, and educational content.
Please see the complete disclosure of potential conflicts of interest below.
Professor Elena Osto
Full Professor and Head of the Division of Physiology and Pathophysiology/Medical university of Graz, Graz, Austria
Biography
My main area of research is cardiovascular biology. I am particularly specialized in endothelial
metabolism and function in immuno-inflammatory and metabolic disarrangements like
atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes and aging. Further, I study the vascular interaction of lipoprotein
and in particular of HDL.
My goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the communication between the
cardiovascular system, the gut-liver and the adipose tissue in the pathophysiology of diabetes type
2 and obesity. In this context, a special interest is on the role of hormones like glucagon-like
peptide-1 and bile acids, and their contributions in maintaining cardiovascular health.
In addition, my interest focuses on the pathophysiology and sex differences of coronary
microvascular dysfunction arising in the context of immune-metabolic disorders (for examples
obesity or endocrinology disease like primary hyperparathyroidism, psoriasis and the cardiac
allograft vasculopathy). During my clinical training and activity, I contributed to the development
and validation of the coronary flow reserve examination by transthoracic echocardiograpy as a
non-invasive cardiac imaging technique to investigate coronary microvascular function.
Vision statement
Dear EAS Members, I am EAS member since 2016 and I regularly attend EAS annual meetings, which I consider top quality meetings in cardiovascular medicine for the high variety of topics, outstanding speakers as well as for the excellent possibility of networking with peers.
I am now ready to engage myself in EAS educational activities and if elected, I will undertake my role as Executive Committee Member for Education with great responsibility and dedication.
My aim will be to integrate key novel scientific discoveries from cardiovascular biology into clinical cardiology in the various EAS educational activities and congresses. This effort will effectively disseminate knowledge on atherosclerosis research and influence clinical practice. My profile as cardiologist and clinical scientist is perfectly in line with EAS’s mission of bridging the gap between basic, translational and clinical cardiology in the field of atherosclerosis.
My goal is to achieve the success of the educational activities of EAS through innovation and quality. I will involve as many EAS members as possible and in particular, the young generations of physicians and scientists in all our future endeavours.
I combine the experience acquired in multiple organizations and societies with a deep understanding of didactic and of effective pedagogical methods thanks to the Certificate of Advance Studies in Higher Education tailored for University‐level instructors, which I successfully completed in 2021 at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. The program lasted two years with 15 course days of presence and required the acquisition of 14 ECTS Credits and a final thesis and exam.
Thanks to a well established and extensive scientific network, I will strategically plan together with the Web Education Committe novel educational programms and strengthen the international collaborations on existing and successful EAS didactic initiatives, as for instance, the open‐access Webinar of the Women’s Cardiovascular Health Week.
Indeed, the elucidation of sex and gender determinants of atherosclerosis is a main topic of my research and in 2023, I had the pleasure to be guest Editor together with Jeanine E. Roeters van Lennep, Lale Tokgözoğlu and Katariina Öörni of a special issue of the Atherosclerosis journal on the influence of sex and gender on the biology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
I enthusiastically offer the experience that I have gained over the past years holding several leadership positions as President of the cardiovascular biology working group (WG) of the Swiss Society of Cardiology and currently as Vice‐Secretary of the Austrian Physiological Society.
At the international level, I have served as Nucleus Member of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)‐ WG on Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology and currently as Chair‐elect.
As Nucleus Member of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology and ESC, I have been organizing and contributing to successful webinars and clinical consensus papers focusing on:
- how to optimize the adherence to guideline‐directed medical therapy in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases;
- how to address residual cardiovascular risk in clinical practice
- how to improve cardiovascular risk factors management in elderly.
For all these reasons, I strongly hope that you will trust me for me for the position of Executive Committee Member for Education of EAS.
Current positions
(Information on all positions, both within companies and other Societies)
Companies
- None
Other Societies
- European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS)
- Member since 2016
- Member of the European Lipoprotein Club since 2017;
- President of the Commission Sex and Gender in Medicine of the medical Faculty oft he University of Zurich, Switzerland.(05.2022-02.2023)
- Chairperson-Elect 2022-2024 of the Working Group: Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology (WG-AVB). https://www.escardio.org/Working-groups/Working-Group-on-Atherosclerosis-and-Vascular-biology/About
- Secretary and Nucleus Member WG-AVB 2020-2022
- Communication Coordinator WG-AVB 2018-2020
- Nucleus Member of the Secondary Prevention and Rehabilitation Section of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) 2020-2022 and 2022-2024
- Member of the Risk Factors (RF) Task Force of the EAPC.
- Member of the Working Groups: Aorta and Peripheral Vascular Diseases since 2012
- Member of the Council on Basic Cardiovascular Science since 2019
- Life Sciences Switzerland, Swiss Society of Cardiology, Working group Cardiovascular biology
- Past-president , Section Cardiovascular Biology (2023-2024)
- President (2022-2023) and Board Member Section Cardiovascular Biology https://www.ls2.ch/sections/cardiovascular-biology.
- Vice President (2020-2022) and Board Member since 2018
Maintaining Integrity in EAS Scientific and Clinical Activities
EAS manages conflicts of interest to maintain integrity in scientific and clinical activities organized by its members. This includes guidelines, consensus papers, journals, congresses, and educational content. Please see the complete disclosure of potential conflicts of interest below.
You have to be full member and logged in to view Faculty Conflict of Interest Disclosures
Dr. Emiel van der Vorst
Group Leader, Uniklinikum Aachen, Germany
Biography
Dr Emiel van der Vorst studied Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine at Maastricht University. After an internship in Sydney, Australia in the lab of Prof. Rye and Prof. Barter, he graduated in 2010. In 2015, he obtained his PhD, under the supervision of Prof. Biessen, Prof. De Winther and Dr Donners at the Department of Pathology, CARIM, Maastricht. The title of his thesis was: ‘Modulation of vascular inflammation – cell-type specific effects of ADAMs and HDL’.
During his post-doctoral period (2015-2019) at the Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention in the lab of Prof. Weber and Dr Döring, he obtained several personal grants (Humboldt Foundation, FöFoLe, DZHK) to start establishing his own research line. In 2019, he obtained several prestigious personal grants (Veni, IZKF research group grant, Else-Kröner Fresenius), enabling him to start his own group at CARIM and IMCAR (Aachen, Germany). As principle investigator of the Immune-Lipid Crosstalk Research Group, he currently supervises 1 post-doctoral fellow and 3 PhD students.
Dr Van der Vorst focusses on the interplay between lipids and the immune-system in the context of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Recently, evidence is mounting, including from his own research that main driving factors of CVD, dyslipidemia and inflammation, are interdependent and that considerable crosstalk exists between these two. Combining his expertise on high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and chemokine receptors, he will investigate the interplay between these two factors. In addition, the interplay of various other lipids and lipid derivatives with key immunological factors will be investigated, hopefully elucidating new therapeutic targets.
Vision statement
Dear EAS members,
Hereby I would like to elaborate on my vision for the position of EAS Executive Committee as ordinary member responsible for Education.
First of all, I would like to stimulate the continuation of ongoing educational activities. For example, the EAS young fellow programme is highly interesting and inspiring for young scientist. Since I was part of the class of 2022-2023, I have experienced this programme myself, through which I gained a lot of insights and significantly elaborated my network with established and young scientists. Efforts should be made to establish a proper alumni network to retain these contacts, e.g. by organizing a separate networking activity for (alumni) young fellows during/prior to the EAS conference.
Furthermore, the webinars that are currently being organized are highly interesting and should be continued. In my view, the amount of webinars should actually be increased and/or organized on a regular basis. To more actively address young scientists several of these webinars should also be focused on soft skills development. For example, a panel discussion of established senior and successful junior scientists to talk about establishing your scientific network, the (un)importance of re-locating, experiences with grant applications, finding your scientific niche etc.
An additional and new educational approach that I would like to initiate is short online courses on specific methodologies present within the EAS network. Since it is often difficult to stay up-to-date with the latest technology, it would be interesting to organize small courses to provide technological updates. In each session of one hour, two scientists can present/pitch their state-of-the-art/unique methodology that they established in their laboratory. These presentations should be mostly focussed on introducing the method and its potential applications, making it possible for everyone to identify novel techniques that are interesting for their projects. For the presenters, this offers a chance to increase their collaborations within the EAS network. Ideally, these presentations will also be included as online course from the EAS academy to remain accessible for everyone with a search function to easily see whether somebody within the EAS network is specialized in the technique that you require.
To further strengthen the connection of society members with the Atherosclerosis journal, and to stay up-to-date with new published studies, I would like to introduce another novel educational approach: “paper of the month” journal clubs. In these monthly online sessions (half hour), a paper of the month published in Atherosclerosis will be selected (either by small committee and/or based on reviewer scores) and the first author of this publication will be invited to present their article in a short/condensed manner. Since mostly the first author is a junior scientist, this will additionally provide him/her with the chance to gain more visibility within the EAS network.
In my opinion it is very important to particularly make PhD-students and young fellows enthusiastic about atherosclerosis-focussed research and to actively engage them in the society, which will be enabled by the proposed educational approaches
Hopefully, I can count on your support and your vote for my candidacy, enabling me to implement these ideas in the near future!
Current Positions
(Information on all positions, both within companies and other Societies)
Companies
- None
Other societies
- Nucleus member of the Scientists of Tomorrow of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). This position will end at the end of 2024 and be transferred into an advisory role only.
Maintaining Integrity in EAS Scientific and Clinical Activities
EAS manages conflicts of interest to maintain integrity in scientific and clinical activities organized by its members. This includes guidelines, consensus papers, journals, congresses, and educational content. Please see the complete disclosure of potential conflicts of interest below.
You have to be full member and logged in to view Faculty Conflict of Interest Disclosures